The Hungry Herbivore

Mango Banana Coconut "Ice Cream"

2012-02-03T16:35:00.003-06:00

So easy, it's hardly a recipe at all! I blended frozen banana & mango pieces with a couple spoonfuls of coconut manna and a bit of water. You could also soak a couple dates to blend in for sweeter ice cream. Creamy, tropical, & delicious goodness!

Vegan Sushi Rolls!

2011-11-19T13:31:00.002-06:00

My first attempt at inside-out sushi rolls! Rolled like a charm! These lovelies were filled with garlic sauteed shitake mushrooms, carrots, avocado, and crispy toasted garlic crunchies!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2011-11-15T11:03:00.002-06:00

I've been eating this a lot lately. You don't even really need ketchup, these are enough on their own. Cubed sweet potatoes mixed with a spoonful of coconut oil, as much minced garlic as you can stand, Himalayan salt and a couple turns of fresh ground pepper. Roast in a cast iron pan at 360 degrees. Cook until golden and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, mixing them up once in the middle. Yummmm.

Creative Fast Food

2011-11-10T07:22:00.003-06:00

I was hungry but not in a mood to spend much time cooking. I took out veggies I needed/wanted to use, a portion of already cooked quinoa, some tamari, sesame oil, garlic, onion, ginger, red jalapenos, and peanut butter. Out of curiosity, I timed how long this took. After I had everything out I was going to use it took 13 minutes. Not bad at all.

I chopped up the veggies. Sauteed the onion, garlic, ginger, cranberries and jalapenos for a couple minutes in sesame oil. Added the chopped bok choi, quinoa and sweet peppers and stirred frequently for a couple minutes. Blended together a sauce made of a scoop of peanut butter, tomato, juice of 2 key limes, Himalayan salt & tamari. Poured over the veggie/quinoa mixture and it was time to eat! Maybe the combination of tomato, peanut butter and tamari sounds strange to you. It sounds strange to me to. But trust me, it was good and satisfying. Delicious, nutritious, & fast.

Baby bok choi, onion, garlic, ginger, red jalapeno, sweet orange peppers, yellow bell, quinoa, tomatoes, tamari, peanut butter, dried cranberries, & Himalayan salt. Yum.

Green Tomato Chutney

2011-11-09T08:03:00.003-06:00

Green Tomato Chutney
a bunch of green tomatoes (I used about 6-7 cups)
3 apples, chopped
1 onion
3-5 red jalapenos
4-5 garlic cloves
thumb size chunk of ginger
1 cup vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
Himalayan salt
jaggery (or some other sweetner) to taste
1 cup raisins

Combine tomatoes, onion, minced garlic and ginger in a food processor or blender and blend briefly until everything is chunky and chopped but not pureed. Put this mixture into a pot on the stove. Add chopped apples, raisins, apple cider vinegar, and jaggery. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down and let simmer for an hour, stirring frequently so it doesn't stick to the bottom. After some time the texture will change into a more chutney-like consistency. Add salt to taste.

This is an awesome condiment that can be used in many ways to spice up dishes. Serve with pakoras or samosas, burritos, enchiladas, rice dishes or whatever else sounds good. It's sweet and spicy and tangy and a little goes quite a way! I put enough for one jar in the fridge and froze two bags for later.

Black bean, spinach, and broccoli enchiladas topped with green tomato chutney.

Papaya Mango Banana Boats

2011-11-08T20:31:00.000-06:00

Simple & supremely satisfying.

Gluten-free Banana Oat Muffins

2011-11-08T10:43:00.003-06:00

Banana Oat Muffins (Gluten-free):
3 ripe bananas
3 TBS coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup ground oats
1 tsp baking soda
tiny pinch Himalayan salt

OPTIONAL:
raisins
shredded coconut
cranberries
cardamom
cinnamon
2 TBS molasses
2 tsp vanilla extract
other dried fruits and/or nuts

Mix wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients and stir until well mixed. I use a coffee/spice grinder to grind the oats. Rub coconut oil on muffin tins to prevent sticking. Fill muffin or mini muffin tins. Top with a sprinkling of oats, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-14 minutes, until baked throughout. Enjoy!

Tiffin Salad Flower

2011-03-26T17:46:00.002-05:00

Apple slices, red onion and dulse flakes on top. All sorts of other goodies underneath-- cucumbers, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, golden raisins. Packed in a tiffin and to be topped with a creamy tahini dressing!

Rainbow Juice!

2011-03-26T17:38:00.001-05:00

Carrot, apple, beet, ginger, meyers lemon, kale, spinach and celery!

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

2011-02-22T11:03:00.004-06:00

My Reese's Peanut Butter Cup addiction has been cured! They will never compare to a vegan dark chocolate homemade peanut butter cup. Plus, these are easy to make. I add some extras to mine (reishi mushroom, spirulina, maca root powder, nutritional yeast), but you could leave these out if you don't have them or would rather not add those weird (but awesome!) things to your sweets. If you do (and I would recommend it), you can't even taste them and they make this treat even better for you. You could also substitute peanut butter for your favorite nut butter.

The chocolate is the same as the chocolate from Raw Chocolate and Chocolate-dipped Bananas post. But here's what what I put in (with the extras) for these:

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
1 cup coconut oil*
1/2 cup raw cacao powder*
1 TBS agave nectar*
1 tsp spirulina
2 tsp reishi mushroom powder
pinch cayenne
tiny pinch of good salt

for the filling:
1/2 cup organic peanut butter*
2 TBS nutritional yeast (Thanks to Averie at Love, Veggies & Yoga for the tip on the nutritional yeast. It really makes the filling Reese's-like!)
1 TBS maca root powder

*= main ingredient, the rest are optional

Melt coconut oil, mix together chocolate ingredients. Spoon a layer into cupcake papers and put in the freezer. After a few minutes, spoon peanut butter mixture into the middle and cover with chocolate sauce. Return to freezer. Wait 10 minutes & devour. You might have leftover chocolate sauce or filling to do with as you please. Enjoy!

Tofu Egg(less) Salad

2011-02-13T12:46:00.002-06:00

Tofu eggless salad on Ezekiel's bread.

1 package firm tofu, chopped
3 TBS dijon mustard
3 TBS vegan mayonnaise
1 tsp turmeric
pinch black pepper
apple cider vinegar, just a splash
1/2- 1/4 red onion, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced

OPTIONAL: broccoli sauteed in coconut oil with shallots, red onion, garlic and ginger, chopped fine (leftover from lunch)

Mix all ingredients and eat on sandwiches, tortillas, crackers, salads, wrap in cabbage leaves or eat alone. This eggless egg salad is super quick and even better than the original.

If you live in Kansas or near, I highly recommend buying Central Soyfoods Tofu. It's organic and made locally, in Lawrence! They also have smoked tofu, garlic herb tofu and tempeh.

Raw Chocolate and Chocolate-dipped Bananas

2011-02-12T16:54:00.011-06:00

These were really, really good. And just in time for Valentine's Day. They go fast.

To make raw chocolate you only need three things: raw cacao powder, coconut oil & agave nectar. Ani Phyo's ratio is:
1 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup cacao powder
1 TBS agave nectar

And that's it-- you add those three things together, pour into molds or spoon on top of fruit or whatever you want.

If your coconut oil is solid, put it into a bowl and place the bowl in a larger bowl of hot water. Stir a bit and it will melt. (By the way, the reason we're not heating in a pan on the stove is because we're making raw chocolates We don't want to cook the goodness out!)

I was a little more creative with this batch. I added a tiny pinch of cayenne, a really tiny pinch of Himalayan crystal salt and a dash of spirulina. Really though, you only need the 3 ingredients above. (You could also substitute cacao butter for the coconut oil if you want. Cacao butter makes for a more temperature stable chocolate.)

I had dehydrated the banana slices for a few hours until they had just a bit of moisture left. Then, placed banana slices on a tray in the freezer for about 15 minutes. You could also use already dried bananas or even fresh banana slices. I'll have to try that next time. I spooned the chocolate mixture onto the banana slices. Back to the freezer. You can put another layer on a few minutes later if you want. I did. Eat them straight out of the freezer. Yum.

If you're wondering where to get chocolate molds, I found mine here at Amazon for $2 each (I have turtles and hearts but they have lots to choose from). If you don't have a mold and want chocolates right now, you could use muffin paper cups.

Especially if you get into making raw chocolates, I would recommend checking out raw cacao powder from Ultimate Superfoods. (And I don't work for them.) You can buy 5lbs for $50. (Also smaller amounts.) 5lbs will last you a long time. That's a lot of raw homemade chocolates, desserts, smoothies and hot chocolate superfood drinks. With cacao powder, it's important that its raw and does not have added sugar. Hershey's just doesn't cut it.

I also get my agave nectar from Ultimate Superfoods.

Nutiva makes great coconut oil. And I just noticed they have free shipping on orders over $30 right now. Whatever coconut oil you get should be organic, cold-pressed and unrefined (read the labels). If you're in Lawrence, the Merc carries cacao powder, coconut oil and agave nectar.

My next experiment will be making peanut butter cups. Reese's, watch out.

Babagha wha? Baba ghanoush!

2011-02-06T17:53:00.006-06:00

Baba ghanoush is a favorite of mine. I love it with fresh pita bread and a fattoush salad. Or pita wraps with baba ghanoush and lots of fresh veggies. Similar to hummus in appearance-- it's basically hummus with eggplant substituted for the garbanzo beans. Although I love hummus, given a choice I'd almost always go for baba ghanoush. It's good stuff. Seriously. Garlicky, creamy, savory wonderfulness. Some friends came over last night and we made this with some pasta and veggies with fresh tomato wine sauce and toasted baguette slices. A great night of food & conversation was had by all!

Baba Ghanoush

1 eggplant, peeled, cubed and salted
several cloves garlic (I used half a bulb, about 12) or less, depending on personal taste
1/4 cup tahini
3-5 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juice and zest
Himalayan salt
fresh ground pepper
pinch cayenne

Drizzle cubed eggplant and garlic with olive oil and roast until tender (about 40 minutes) at 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients and blend until creamy. Serve warm with pita chips or bread but it's also good cold. Or maybe a baba ghanoush falafal pita? Enjoy.

Baba ghanoush bruschetta

Veggies & Sprouts on Homemade Flatbread with Vegan Green Goddess "Cheese"

2010-11-28T15:18:00.006-06:00

Spelt Flatbread
Mix together spelt flour with a pinch of salt and enough warm water to form into a doughy consistency. I added diced red onions and a teaspoon of sunflower oil. Form into balls and roll out with a rolling pin. You can either cook them on the stove (with or without oil) or bake them until golden, flipping once. This is the first time I've made these like this but basically I made them like you would make a chapati, using spelt flour. Actually, I added a bit of oil and also the onion so they're more like baked parathas. These are really easy, especially because they don't require yeast or rising time. These would make great pizza crust!

Green Goddess "Cheese"
Blend together soaked cashews, fresh garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, good salt and lightly sauteed or steamed kale (I sauteed it with garlic and ginger). Add water if needed.

Veggies
Heat mustard oil, added red onion, cumin seeds and yellow mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds started popping add sauteed broccoli, red bell pepper strips, good salt and a splash of water. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. After the heat is off, add a squeeze of lemon. Make sure you don't overcook the broccoli-- the color should remain bright green.

Assembly
Spread the green goddess cheese on top of baked flatbread. Spoon out broccoli and red pepper on top of the cheese. Top with greens (I used micro-greens from our garden) and sprouts (I used alfalfa).

Spicy Ginger Lemon Peppermint Tea

2010-11-20T10:39:00.007-06:00

Perfect for a cold day. Add a pinch of cayenne, juice from a quarter lemon and grated ginger. After it cools a few minutes, add honey to taste. It's important to only eat honey in it's natural, raw state. Many people also add honey to baked goods but according to Ayurveda, honey becomes toxic when heated. It's medicinal properties also vanish when cooked.

**First Aid Honey tip: If you ever burn yourself and you have raw honey handy, apply directly to the burn.**

Savory Sweet Potato Indian-spiced Soup

2010-11-15T10:01:00.005-06:00

2 or 1 very large sweet potato
1 TBS coconut oil
red chili peppers (to taste-- I like it hot), finely diced OR 1 jalapeno finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBS minced ginger
1/2 tsp whole cumin
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
Himalayan crystal salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
lemon juice, 1/2 lemon
water

Bake the sweet potatoes at 350 degrees until soft. Heat coconut oil and add chilies, ginger & garlic. After a minute, add the cumin and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begin to pop (I love this!), add the cooked potato and water. Start with about 1 1/2 cups of water and add as needed to get your desired consistency. At this point, I blended everything up with my immersion blender. If you don't have one, you could just mash everything with a fork and have a not as creamy version. Of course, you could use a blender or food processor but that makes this recipe not nearly as convenient and simple. I've said this before but I'll say it again, I love my KitchenAid immersion blender! Very convenient and easy to clean. I use it for soups, sauces and smoothies sometimes several times a day.

Back to the soup. After you have mashed or blended, add the remaining spices and cook for another 5 minutes. After you turn off the heat, add the lemon juice. Taste, if it's not quite right, add spices to your liking. This soup would be great garnished with cilantro and/or cultured nut yogurt. Good soup for a cold fall day! Enjoy!

Raw & Organic Homemade Chocolates

2010-10-06T12:43:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I used this cute little pineapple mold for the first time to mold chocolates. It was a chocolate kind of day. The chocolate was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, made with raw cacao powder, coconut oil, agave, Nutiva's Coconut Manna and a touch of cayenne and lavender. I also used a new heart shaped mold for several other heart-shaped chocolates. A new favorite is born. Soon I will be making homemade raw & organic peanut butter cups. I also have some turtle molds to try out. I see more chocolate in the very near future.

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

2010-09-10T13:51:00.004-05:00

Today is a good day to make cupcakes. It's storming outside and the leaves are just starting to turn. These are egg-free and vegan ! They have apples and bananas in the batter and a touch of cayenne for a kick. The cupcakes turned out moist and satisfyingly chocolately. The frosting was delicious!

Cake batter:
1 banana
2 granny smith apples, shredded (I used my coarse zester)
1/4 cup coconut (or other) oil
1 TBS molasses
1/4 cup agave nectar

1 1/4 cups unbleached white flour
3/4 cup cacao powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
pinch good salt
small pinch cayenne

Mix wet ingredients. Mix dry. Combine until thoroughly mixed. Fill in greased muffin pan or liners. Bake at 350 degrees until cooked throughout (about 12 minutes). Remove from pan and let cool. Frost.

Frosting:
1/4 cup Earth Balance
1 cup organic powdered sugar
splash of coconut oil and/or agave nectar for liquid to blend
2 Tbsp cacao powder

To make frosting, combine ingredients and blend until creamy.

Stoplight Pasta Salad

2010-08-29T12:10:00.005-05:00

5-7 red & yellow heirloom & (ripe) green zebra tomato
black olives, handful sliced
artichoke hearts, big handful, chopped
10 or so sundried tomatoes, sliced
1 small red onion, diced
basil, big handful fresh & chopped
1/8 cup olive oil
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
1 lemon, zest and juice
Himalayan salt, to taste
fresh pepper, to taste
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
pasta-- penne, spirals or other salad pasta shape (I used mini penne)

These tomatoes were from the Farmer's Market. They were absolutely beautiful sitting together on the counter in vibrant reds, yellows and greens. I had to create something with them. First though, I sampled a slice of each one sprinkled with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon and savored their individual flavors. Heavenly indeed. I almost didn't get to making this pasta salad. If you do, you will surely enjoy it.

Cook pasta. Mix together thoroughly the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper and garlic. Add the diced tomatoes, olives and artichoke hearts. Stir in the cooked pasta and finally, the chopped basil. This pasta salad is great warm served immediately and also, leftover as a cold salad. Sorry, no photographs of this one. We were too busy eating it.

QuinoAvocado!

2010-07-29T19:23:00.003-05:00

Boil 2 cups water and add one cup rinsed quinoa. Cook approximately 15 minutes or until the germ separates from the seed. Mix with diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, lemons zest and juice, fresh mint, salt and freshly ground pepper. Top with sliced avocado. Eat in the summertime when the tomatoes and cucumbers are from your garden!

Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes

2010-07-21T20:02:00.005-05:00

large handful of basil
3 or 4 tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves
walnuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 package of organic, soft tofu
1 hot pepper or big pinch of cayenne

Boil water for whatever type of pasta you want (1 lb). Blend together all above ingredients, except for tomatoes. Mix together cooked pasta, the pesto sauce and diced tomatoes. This pasta dish is deliciously rich and creamy for a vegan meal. Enjoy!

Sproutalicious!

2010-07-19T13:40:00.002-05:00

Raw and organic alfalfa sprouts! These ones sprouted in the car with us on the way to Colorado. Just rinse and fully drain twice a day until sprouted to your liking.

2010-06-26T14:29:00.000-05:00

Our very first tomato of the season!

Yogini Superfoods Chocolate Chakra Cake

2010-05-19T17:34:00.002-05:00

No dairy, eggs, or gluten.

Ingredients:
1 banana
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup almond milk
pinch of Himalayan (or Celtic or sea) salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup gluten-free baking flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2-3 TBS chia seeds
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 TBS maca root powder
1 cup soaked goji berries (and use the soak water)
1 cup raw cacao powder

Topping:
100% cacao chips
maple syrup, enough to make the chocolate sweet--taste as needed
cashews, chopped into pieces

Mix wet ingredients. Mix dry ingredients. Combine and mix thoroughly. Pour into oiled cake pan and bake at 375 until cooked throughout. For the topping, heat the cacao chips and maple syrup on very low right before the cake is done. Pour on top and sprinkle cashew pieces on top of the chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Truffles

2010-05-12T12:01:00.003-05:00

raw cacao powder (or carob powder)
peanut butter
coconut oil
granola
pinch of good salt
honey or agave nectar (use only raw, clear agave. Ultimate Superfoods is a reputable brand)
shredded coconut

First mix together cacao, peanut butter, agave, salt and coconut oil until thoroughly mixed. Add granola. Form into balls. Roll in shredded coconut.

Front yard gardens

2010-05-11T18:57:00.007-05:00

HDR shot of the front garden (Click to enlarge)

Planting seeds & singing songs

Microgreens

Strawberry flower

Iris transplanted from my mom's garden

Alan picking mint for mojitos

Rosemary

Sunflowers, cabbage and our front yard tree

Moonflower

Lettuce!

Lemonbalm, cabbage & brussel sprouts up front

Sunflower yoga

Sunflowers, thyme, rosemary and purple flowering garlic chives

Kitchari

2010-05-11T14:00:00.011-05:00

Salad and kitchari

Kitchari is a very sattvic, pure and healing food. And it's one of my favorite Indian dishes. It's affordable and healthy. And quite easy to make. Oh, and it's really good. Just remember to soak the rice and beans overnight or at least for a few hours before you're ready to cook. It softens them and makes them easier to digest. This is an ayurvedic dish, safe for all the doshas and is eaten often during periods before and after fasting or panchkarma treatments. If you're feeling sick, lack energy or feel like your body needs rest, this is a good dish to eat. It's very easy on the digestive system and doesn't include garlic and onions (which I usually put in everything). (According to Dr. Robert Svoboda, "Garlic and onions are both rajasic and tamasic, and are forbidden to yogis because they root the consciousness more firmly in the body". Why garlic, with your wonderful flavor, must you root me to this body!? Actually, although I still love onion and garlic, asafoetida works well to add a similar flavor.)

I learned to make kitchari with The Hare Krishna book of Vegetarian Cooking. This is inspired by the kitchari recipes in that book. I usually throw in whatever vegetables I need to use up (like asparagus, kale, squash or green beans) in addition to the following:

1 cup of one or more types of beans and/or lentils (I've been using a mixture of green lentils, mung beans and adzuki beans lately)

1 1/2 cups brown rice

2 TBS coconut oil (original recipe calls for ghee)

3-4 red potatoes, diced

1 sweet potato or yam

1 cup chopped carrots

2-3 jalepenos, diced

1 TBS cumin seeds

1-2 TBS fresh grated ginger

1 tsp asafoetida (hing)

1 TBS turmeric

1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

4-5 tomatoes, diced

1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped

juice of one lemon

7-8 cups pure water

As garnish:

plain (organic) yogurt or cultured almond yogurt

fresh cilantro, chopped

Soak rice and beans/lentils together overnight or for several hours before. Heat ghee, butter or oil and add cumin seeds, jalapenos, ginger and a pinch of salt. Stir for several minutes. Add asofoetida (hing), stir in and immediately add potatoes and carrots and a pinch more salt. Cook several minutes, until potatoes and carrots begin to turn golden. Drain and rinse rice & beans. Pour rice and bean mixture into potatoes and carrots. Stir frequently for several more minutes and then add water. For soupier kitchari, add more water. For dryer kitchari, add less. Bring to a boil and turn heat down to low, let simmer for 30 minutes or so and add spinach and tomatoes. (Optional: 1/2 cup red quinoa) Let cook another 15 minutes. Taste and add fresh ground pepper and more salt, if necessary. Turn off heat. Right before serving add the juice of one lemon. I also sometimes add the zest of the lemon as well. Top with plain yogurt and fresh cilantro.

Tiffin lunch box full of kitchari, topped with yogurt and cilantro from the garden

Japanese Spinach Salad with Cabbage & Ume Boshi Dressing

2010-04-22T10:00:00.002-05:00

Bed of raw, local and organic spinach and sauteed cabbage with garlic, ginger, onions, carrots, ume boshi plum vinegar, & Bragg's. Topped with peanuts, red pepper and alfalfa sprouts.

Dressing:
Ume boshi paste
honey
olive oil
ume boshi plum vinegar
lemon juice
Himalayan salt

Spring Greens Salad with Apricot Garlic Greens Dressing

2010-04-19T21:40:00.007-05:00

Made with greens from Avery's Produce. Find him and his delicious greens (grown with love) at the Farmers Market on Saturdays, Tuesdays & Thursdays.

Salad:
local & organic bed of seasonal greens
avocado
red onion
alfalfa sprouts
sunflower seeds
dried currants and cranberries
apples, sliced in long thin strips

All mixed up

Apricot Garlic Greens Dressing:
garlic greens, handful, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, grated ginger
pinch Himalayan salt

With mortar and pestle, mix garlic greens, garlic, ginger, splash of olive oil and salt.

Mix until there are no longer chunks of garlic and the mixture is turning nice and green.

After turning in the mortar and pestle for a few minutes, transfer to a jar and add in the remaining ingredients. Shake. Taste. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Bed of fresh and local greens from Avery's Produce.

Coconut Tomato Soup

2010-04-17T13:49:00.003-05:00

This is the recipe for the Coconut Tomato Soup I made for the Blind Dinner Party last week:

1 shallot
garlic
ginger
1-3 jalapeno(s) (depending on how spicy you like it), diced (or use cayenne powder)
1-2 TBS coconut oil
1 can coconut milk
2-4 TBS palm sugar (or other natural sweetner)
4-6 cups diced tomatoes
Himalayan salt (to taste)
lime, juice of one
cilantro, finely chopped

Saute shallots and a pinch of salt in coconut oil for a minute. Add diced jalapenos, garlic & ginger & saute until shallots become clear. Add tomatoes, coconut milk, palm sugar and a bit more salt and bring to a boil. Once the soup comes to a boil, turn the heat down and cook on low for about 20 minutes. Turn off heat, add lime juice and taste. Experiment with the flavors. Taste the sourness of the lime, the sweetness of the palm sugar, and the saltiness of the pink Himalayan salt. Is anything missing? Find the perfect balance of flavors for the perfect bowl of coconut tomato soup. Top with a generous sprinkling of chopped cilantro and savor the flavor.

First Farmers' Market of the season

2010-04-16T09:36:00.007-05:00

This is one of the most beautiful & colorful booths at the Farmers Market, run by Micky McKillip. Always gorgeous, vibrant and creative. I picked up a little bouquet in a green bottle from her and it's been brightening my kitchen all week.

Soaps from Taylor Farms Rangeland Herbs, made with many herbs gathered from the Flint Hills. These soaps smell wonderful!

Avery's Produce: ORGANIC FOR 30 YEARS (now certification free!)

I picked up some lemongrass, Egyptian walking onions and chives from Vinland Valley Nursery (And I saw Kendra!).

Slawson Farms

Anthony's Beehive, now offering bulk honey for refills.

Love, love, love all things made by Hilary (Ancient Grains. for modern humans)! The BEST! On Saturday I tried the Carrot Muffin. So good. I also highly recommend trying the Good Morning millet patties and the Teff Biscoti.

Pinwheel Farm always has goodies and smiles.

Also, visit the Pinwheel Farm blog, for updates from the farm.

Mushrooms from Wakarusa Valley Farm

Richard Bean and fellow worker bee of Blossom Trail Bee Ranch

Blind Dinner Party

2010-04-10T13:44:00.005-05:00

Last night I hosted a blind dinner party for eight friends. This was something I've been wanting to do since I visited a blind restaurant in Berlin a few years back. It was an epic 3 1/2 hour meal in pitch blackness with blind or partially blind servers and several courses. I absolutely loved the experience and have wanted to recreate it since. It's amazing how much we all taste with our eyes. We almost always see food before putting it into our mouths and consciously or unconsciously make judgements about it, good or bad. All of these visual preconceptions are bypassed when you take away the sense of sight. The other senses are also heightened, leading to more conscious observations about texture, consistency and smell. So many meals (especially in America) are eaten mindlessly. This dinner was an experiment in mindfulness.

Tonight was also a celebratory evening: Vaughn was the featured artist on etsy.com! This means hundreds of people will see his beautiful, shiny art pieces! He has been making glass and jewelry for over 10 years now (and now marbles and kaleidoscopes and other intergalactic pocket treasures), so it's really fantastic that he's finally getting some more publicity. Congrats, Vaughn!

Back to dinner. Everyone was blindfolded and the menu was secret. Some of the guests were meeting for the first time. Shortly after everyone arrived and introductions were made, blindfolds were passed out and the lights were turned off, candles lit (in order for me to be able to serve). Everyone sat on the floor on cushions or yoga blocks . The kitchen was full: pots with simmering dishes, dressings and sauces mixed in bowls and chopped vegetables and dishes covering all available surfaces. It was a challenge plating the food with such a shortage of space but at least presentation wasn't an issue.

The first course was a drink to wake up the taste buds. Sweet and a little bit spicy with lots of flavor. Someone described it as "almost creamy". I didn't reveal what anything was in it's entirety until after all courses were through. I requested everyone to speak up about what they thought they were eating (and confirmed if they correctly guessed ingredients). The second course was a salad with a tangy, creamy dressing. The main course had three different dishes. After I had served everyone, I finally had a chance to sit down and blindfold myself. Even knowing full well what everything was, it was really strange eating blind because I wasn't really sure which dish would end up in my mouth. Eating with a fork was near impossible. After a few minutes of attempting to do this and often ending up with an empty fork in my mouth, I ditched the fork and ate with my hands. Much better. I think if I do this again, I won't even pass out silverware. After I finished my meal I returned to the kitchen to finalize and plate the last (and very important) course: dessert. After such a big meal I was worried there wouldn't be an iota of space left for anything sweet. I was wrong to worry. It was devoured.

The Blind Dinner Menu Revealed:

Drink: Freshly juiced carrot-apple-beet-ginger juice. After dinner, people were surprised to see the bright, beety color of this one.
Salad: With red peppers, red onion and cucumbers and creamy chevre lemon vinaigrette (I forgot to add the sunflower seeds and dried cranberries)

Soup: coconut tomato with cilantro (and lots of ginger and garlic)

Main:
1st- garlic chive mashed potatoes with shitake mushroom gravy (blended to fool, I mean please a friend with a phobia for the texture of mushrooms.)
2nd- kitchari, an Indian dish made with rice, mung beans, potatoes, carrots & tomatoes. With a squeeze of lemon on top, yogurt and cilantro
3rd- Not quite sure what to call this (suggestions welcome!) but it was a layered and baked dish with eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, avocado, goat cheese and fresh squeezed lemon juice on top. A fine last minute creation.

Dessert: warm gluten-free chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce that hardened on the ice cream and got all yummy and crackly. This was my first time to ever make a cake! And it was gluten-free. I can do cakes now, hooray! I made it with all purpose gluten-free flour, raw cacao powder, yogurt and palm sugar. The sauce was made with melted 100% cacao chips, palm sugar and honey.

(At least some of the recipes from this dinner, I will post soon.)

Wow. So that was fun. We'll have to it again. But I really need a kitchen assistant!

Raw Lavender Orange Chocolate

2010-04-06T10:45:00.000-05:00

For the chocolate:

cacao powder

cacao butter

coconut oil

orange zest and juice

lavender flowers

Himalayan crystal salt

agave nectar

Mix all ingredients together. I use a microplane to shred the cacao butter into easier to melt pieces. Form into a ball and knead with your hands until all ingredients are mixed thoroughly. You can either roll into balls (but not too big, this is some seriously strong chocolate) or press about 1/2 inch thick into a cake pan or some other type of mold.

For the Topping:

walnuts

shredded coconut

orange zest

lavender flowers

agave nectar

With a mortar and pestle, crush walnuts and combine all other ingredients. If you formed chocolate into balls, roll and cover them with the topping. If you made flat chocolate, press topping onto the top. Chill in refrigerator or freezer.

Spring!

2010-03-26T10:43:00.000-05:00

ShitakeTacos with Red Pepper, Guacamole, Alfalfa Sprouts & Pico de Gallo

2010-03-26T09:10:00.006-05:00

shitake mushrooms (soak beforehand if using dried)
shallots
garlic
butter or coconut oil
red pepper, cut in small strips

Preheat oven to 250 degrees to warm taco shells for a few minutes right before serving. Saute shallots and garlic in butter (or coconut oil) and a pinch of Himalayan salt. Add shitake mushrooms and diced habanero. When mushrooms are nearly finished cooking, add the red pepper strips.

Guacamole:
avocados
lime juice, fresh squeezed
cilantro
habanero, finely diced
cilantro
red onion, diced
tomato, diced
Himalayan salt
garlic, minced
Bragg's, couple sprays (optional)

Mix all ingredients, excluding tomatoes until creamy. Add diced tomatoes and stir gently.

Pico de Gallo:
tomatoes, diced
lime juice
cilantro
jalapeno, finely diced
red onion, diced
H. salt
palm sugar (optional, if you want a sweet pico de gallo)

Mix all ingredients.

alfalfa sprouts

The final result was Shitake Tacos layered with guacamole, pico de gallo, alfalfa sprouts and vegan sour cream.

Sroutza

2010-03-21T18:56:00.004-05:00

Whole wheat bread toasted with coconut oil (brushed with minced garlic) and topped with a thick marinara sauce and zesty sprouts. So good.

Toast with Peanut Butter and Molasses

2010-03-20T19:08:00.003-05:00

Inspired by a friend who puts peanut butter and molasses on her waffles. Thanks Anna! I put coconut oil on the toast before the peanut butter (just peanuts) and molasses and sometimes sprinkle the top with palm sugar, if I'm feeling extra sweet.

The Clean 15 & Dirty Dozen, now with illustrations!

2010-03-03T19:19:00.002-06:00

Spicy Cabbage Miso Soup

2010-03-03T18:38:00.006-06:00

Today I made miso soup for the first time. Why did it take me this long to make miso soup??? It was so comforting and spicy and perfect for today. Plus, I ate it outside while sitting in the sun! Everything is better with sunshine! Miso soup included and also something else new today that is most definitely made better by sun... a beautifully cut Swaraovski crystal that now hangs in our window and throws rainbows all over the house. Here's to rainbows and sunshine and miso soup!

1/2 head of cabbage
4-5 cups pure water
1 carrot
1/2 onion
1/2 yellow pepper, cut into strips
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
garlic, 4-5 cloves, minced
ginger, 1 TBS, minced
1 1/2 Tablespoons shiro miso paste
Himalayan salt
cayenne pepper to taste (I put a lot!)
Bragg's
sunshine

Saute onions, garlic, ginger and H. salt in coconut oil for a few minutes. Add cabbage and carrot and cayenne. Stir frequently on low/med heat for around 5 minutes. Add water. Add yellow peppers. Cook on low heat for approximately 15 minutes. Add miso, Bragg's and salt to taste. Go outside and add some sunshine. Eat. Be happy.

Cashew "Cheese"

2010-01-28T14:51:00.005-06:00

raw cashews, 2 cups soaked & drained
nutritional yeast (about half as much as cashews)
lemon, zest & juice from one lemon
garlic, 1-2 cloves
turmeric, 1 tsp
Bragg's, couple sprays
cayenne, just a touch

Soak cashews. Drain and mix (with food processor or whatever you've got) with all ingredients to desired consistency.

Use as veggie dip, spread for sanwiches, wraps, bagels, crackers or as a decadent pasta sauce with colorful veggies.

Tao Te Pudding

2010-01-19T11:19:00.004-06:00

Raw, vegan, organic double layer pudding.... Cacao Banana and Coconut Cream.

Intergalactic Bee: Vaughn & Aly collaboration

2010-01-03T16:04:00.002-06:00

Click to enlarge. Really, just do it.

mind lotus

2010-01-03T11:22:00.003-06:00

(drawing from my journal, India 2009, scanned and photoshopped.)

wintertime stillness.
hibernation vibration:
dead. mind lotus blooms

Raw Lasagna

2010-01-03T10:16:00.006-06:00

Larissa, Ben, Aly, Vaughn, and Casey.

Raw Lasagna: by Aly, Casey and Larissa.

This is a layer of vegan pesto on top of thinly sliced beets.

Layer of summer squash.

The swirl.

The layers: Vegan pesto, tomatoes, walnut pate, summer squash, beets, peppers, basil.

Good stuff.

Sweet Potato Chili Con Coconut

2010-01-02T11:45:00.003-06:00

coconut oil
garlic
ginger
onion
cumin
sweet potato
red beans
black beans
kidney beans
diced tomatoes
tomato paste
garam masala
turmeric
grey salt
chili garlic sauce
coconut milk
love

Bake sweet potato/es at 375 degrees until soft throughout. Meanwhile, saute onions, garlic & ginger with a pinch of salt in coconut oil. Add cumin seeds. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, chili garlic sauce, coconut milk and remaining seasonings. Bring to a simmer and cook on low until sweet potato is cooked. Chop sweet potato into small bit sized pieces and add to chili. Simmer another few minutes and serve.

********
A note to my dear readers (is there anybody out there?) who are intimidated by long lists of ingredients and no measurments: This is supposed to be FUN! Be adventurous. Create something new. Trust yourself. Measure by taste, by feeling, by intuition. Learn to really taste and appreciate every ingredient you add and recognize what element it is adding to the dish. Wake up your senses! And don't forget to season everything with lots of love. It really does make a difference.

Menthol Crystal Steam

2009-12-28T13:26:00.005-06:00

Boil water and pour into non-plastic bowl. Add a few menthol crystals. Breathe in steam deeply and fully through your nose several times. There is no need to cover your head-- the steam with menthol is very powerful and should loosen mucus in the lungs, throat and nasal passage within the next several minutes. Take several deep breaths of steam and continue to breathe deeply. Follow with a neti pot, if desired. This practice should clear your respiratory system to allow for easier breathing (and as a bonus, heightened sense of smell and taste).

Sweet & Spicy Potato Apple Soup w/ Baked Tofu

2009-12-01T15:02:00.005-06:00

1 block firm tofu (hickory smoked or plain)
sweet potatoes, 2-3 chopped small
red potatoes, 2-3 chopped small
apples, 3 cubed
1 habanero, seeded and diced
shallots
garlic
ginger
tomato paste
vegetable broth or water
turmeric
cumin
coriander
1 Tb garam masala
sea salt
grapeseed oil
coconut oil

Cut block of tofu in half and bake at 375 degrees until outside is hard. Bake while soup is cooking and add at the very end. Saute shallots, garlic, ginger and some sea salt in grapeseed oil. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, habanero, apples, coconut oil, potatoes and more salt. Let cook a few minutes and then add vegetable broth or water and tomato paste. Cook until potatoes are soft. Use what you have to blend. Cube tofu and add. Eat, be merry and celebrate the arrival of December!

Kuri Squash Dip

2009-11-28T21:09:00.004-06:00

1 kuri squash, baked
1 cup tahini
few garlic cloves
extra virgin olive oil
fresh ground pepper
Himalayan crystal salt
lemon juice, 1 large or 2 small

Bake squash. Blend all ingredients together. Colorful, easy to make and really good-- you could easily substitute another type of squash. Perfect autumn dip. Serve with pita or tortilla chips or bread.

In the depths of the Indian forest...

2009-11-22T18:48:00.000-06:00

Natural Beauty

2009-11-22T14:27:00.006-06:00

Morning after Christmas, rooftop of Tibetan monastery, doing yoga and later, being attacked by the temple dog.

Playing with the butterflies.

Flower in Rishikesh.

Saw this in India...thought of Vaughn.

Flowers in Sarnath, India, where the Buddha gave his first sermon.

India!

2009-11-22T07:14:00.001-06:00

Avocado Goji Bliss Salad

2009-11-21T11:58:00.003-06:00

with Honey Lime Vinaigrette

Mixed greens. One avocado, mashed with minced garlic & ginger, Himalayan crystal salt, fresh ground black pepper, squeeze of Bragg's and juice of half a lime. Top with goji berries, pumpkin seeds & Honey Lime Vinaigrette.

Honey Lime Vinaigrette:
Organic sunflower oil, juice and zest of one lime, honey, Himalayan crystal salt, pinch of cayenne, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic and ginger.

Vegan Kimchi Jiggae a la Aly

2009-11-14T19:14:00.007-06:00

olive or sesame oil
approx 16 oz (1 jar) vegetarian kimchi
garlic, 4 cloves, minced
ginger, about 1 Tb, minced
1 onion, sliced
1 small apple, chopped
Bragg's, to taste (about 2-3 Tb)
hot pepper (I used 2 red jalapenos)
chili paste, to taste
3 cups vegetable broth or water
firm tofu, cubed
sea salt
garlic greens or green onions
spinach

Vegan Kimchi Jiggae a la Aly

Saute onions, garlic, ginger, jalapenos, apples and sea salt together with olive or sesame oil until onion turns translucent. Add kimchi, vegetable broth or water, cubed tofu and Bragg's. (I would have added some red pepper paste if I had some but I didn't so I also added a bit of tomato paste to thicken.) Bring to a boil and let simmer 15 minutes. Turn off to cool 15 minutes and then add spinach and garlic greens. Serve with rice.

Kimchi jiggae from First God, Anyang, South Korea

Raw Cacao Chocolate Stacked Bananas

2009-11-14T15:44:00.007-06:00

These were cute, easy, raw and really, really good. The filling is raw cacao powder, raw cacao butter, raw coconut butter, raw cashew butter, agave nectar, Himalayan crystal salt and a touch of cayenne. Sprinkled with raw cacao powder and (very gently with) cayenne. I suggest grating the cacao butter and mixing it all together with your hands, letting your body heat melt the butters. Mmmm....don't let me stop you from melting away.

Warm Your Heart Tomato Soup

2009-11-13T11:36:00.010-06:00

coconut oil
3 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 large onion
lots of garlic (5-10 cloves, depending on taste. I'll always go with more.), minced
ginger (around 1 Tb), minced
1 habanero (or other spicy chili or pinch of cayenne), minced
2 apples, diced
1 can tomato paste
1 large can of tomato sauce
1 package silken tofu
sucanat (about 1/2 cup, more or less to taste. agave nectar could also be used)
thyme
tarragon
paprika
4 cups vegetable broth or water
Himalayan crystal salt
fresh ground pepper

Saute onion, garlic, ginger, habanero and some salt in the coconut oil. After a couple minutes, add the apples. Let the apples cook for a couple minutes and add the diced tomatoes and more salt, pepper and the rest of the seasonings. Let simmer for a few minutes, until the tomatoes break apart and then add the remaining ingredients (plus some more minced garlic and ginger) and use an immersion blender (or whatever you're using) to blend to a smooth consistency. Bring to a boil and let simmer 15 minutes. Serve with fresh bread and olive oil or butter.

This recipe is approximate. If it's bland, add more garlic, ginger and seasonings and Himalayan salt. If it's too overwhelming on spices, add more water and/or tomatoes or maybe another package of tofu, if you want it extra creamy. I like this soup because of the intensity and combination of the ginger, garlic, sweet from the sucanat and apples and spicy from the habanero. And the salt ties it all together. If you're feeling down, this will warm your heart. And your soul.

Golden Temple

2009-11-11T18:13:00.009-06:00

I learned how to make chapatis from these lovely people at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India. The kitchen at the Golden Temple is open 24 hours, serving healthy, vegetarian food to all, free of cost. After grabbing a plate and cup you go into one of the huge dining areas, sit on the floor in rows and wait while men scurry around with big buckets of curry or vegetables or the tangy, sour achar (pickled mango). Also buckets and buckets of rice and baskets of hot chapatis. They feed thousands. Thousands of people every single day!

So you can imagine what the kitchens of this place would look like. And think about how many people they need to keep this all functional! I heard rumors of a chapati machine at the Golden Temple (the women who told me about it said the machine-made ones just aren't the same), but where I was learning, it was all by hand. The dough is only flour and water. We form the dough into small balls, roll it out flat and cook it on a huge grill heated by a wood burning fire.

I gave my camera to one of the girls. She took this one and i really like it--the way the sunlight is bouncing off the flour-covered floor and rolling pins. And I'm getting a chapati lesson in the background.

Chapati and smiles.

How is all of this possible? Most definitely through Se va, or selfless service. People of the Sikh religion (Golden Temple being the holiest of temples for the Sikhs) seem to have a predilection for selfless service, with a smile. How lovely.

Chai?

Cooking the chapati.

The first day I was cutting up vegetables. Everyone kept asking if I would take their photo.

What beautiful faces...

Honey: Perfection of Sweet

2009-11-09T14:52:00.006-06:00

The Taste of Honey (or How to Describe the Taste of Honey to an Anosmic)
by Willy Smart

the taste of honey is buzzing bee geometry.

sweet devotional offerings of genetic ritual.

the raw oust of flower sex transmuted to liquid lethargy.

insect feelers stepped here.

the stillness of honey at rest is an illusion.

it delivers a subtle shiver of light curling upwards.

spiral of tiny vibrating wings.

bees are angled and obvious and live in a hanging flaking home of paper so their creation is slowly gently assuredly contentedly dreamily complacent to gravity.

the taste of honey is the taste just before a late morning nap.

silent sunlight planted on silently persuasive eyelids and the sound of brainwaves toning to a singular Bzzzzz....

And from Prakriti by Robert Svoboda:

"Because Shukra is best nourished by Sweet, rejuvenation requires creation of powerful Sweetness in the body and mind. Honey is made of pollen, the sperm of plants. Plant Shukra increases human Shukra, according to the principle "like increases like." Honey is, therefore, innately rejuvenation. Honey is in addition a predigested food, thanks to those industrious bees, and it can enter any part of the body without having to be first digested. It can also do this for any medicine mixed with it, which is why it is valued as the best of all vehicles for therapeutic and rejuvenating substances. Mixing raw, unfiltered honey into your herbal tea allows honey to act as a vehicle for the active principles of the herb. Because honey is made poisonous by heating, however, it should be added after the tea is brewed and has cooled to the temperature at which you will drink it.

In honor of its position as the ideal Sweet food, honey is called madhu in Sanskrit. Madhu means "perfection of Sweet," in contrast to madhura, which refers to Sweet that must be first digested before it can give its Sweetness to ahamkara. All other physical substances are merely madhura; only honey is madhu."

dancer

2009-11-03T08:40:00.001-06:00

I am a creator, destroyer, a dancer, dancing on top of the world with my hands juggling stars and my feet tip-toeing around around continents, toes swirling oceans, ankles caressed by clouds, pirouetting until the time comes to recede to a more tranquil existence. Flying along, mind clear and bright, I pause to consider my actions, my awareness fades and I clumsily trip over a strategically placed curving range of mountains, my arms busy still dancing, not present to catch my fall, the right side of my face slapping hard against a large body of water. I let out a sigh of surrender and completely relax. I stand up slowly, brush myself off and move on to a temporary existence where time moves slower, moments last lifetimes, everything is less pressing, more peaceful, and productive in a different way.

Shiny Feeling

2009-11-02T07:25:00.005-06:00

living through feeling and touching and sensing

when the feeling is gone, what remains?

hollow emptiness of something forgotten

what it is again that keeps me alive?

that spark that glow that shiny feeling

still there but sometimes playing hide and seek with my soul

don't forget don't forget don't forget

you're alive

1st Ever Raw Food Night!

2009-09-15T12:49:00.003-05:00

Yoga Salad with Sweet Tangy Lime Salad Dressing

2009-09-15T12:30:00.006-05:00

Apples, purple, red and yellow peppers,
sunflower seeds, tomatoes, & grated carrot.

Made with honey, lime (zest and juice), ginger,
apple cider vinegar & Himalayan crystal salt.

Backyard Tomato

2009-09-15T11:47:00.002-05:00

Burgundy Okra with Garlic & Tomatoes

2009-09-15T11:40:00.003-05:00

Raw Beet Ravioli

2009-09-15T11:32:00.003-05:00

Purple Cabbage Man

2009-09-13T11:50:00.001-05:00

"Eat your veggies!"

Pesto again?

2009-08-21T21:57:00.004-05:00

Why yes, of course, pesto again. Always more pesto. We'll eat it as long as we have an abundance of fresh basil from our garden and the farmer's market. And this week it was extra good with sundried tomatoes thrown in, almonds, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. And the others: garlic, olive oil, coarse sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Oh, separated flavors of pesto, blend together and make thy flavor magic!

Pesto with carrot sticks. Yum.

Pesto with bowtie pasta and tomatoes. Also tabbouleh and spicy lime tofu.

And THIS. This was good. Leftover pesto with bowties mixed with some mascarpone and topped with slices of tomatoes from Emily's garden and sliced red jalepeno. I zested and juiced some lemon on top, grated some more Parmigiano-Reggiano, sprinkled some coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and bread crumbs and warmed in the oven.

Pesto, here's to you.

"Start Eating Purple" Beet Salad

2009-08-16T09:42:00.002-05:00

All your sanity and wits they will all vanish
I promise, it's just a matter of time...

Put on some purple and some Gogol Bordello and make this beet salad. Oh and then take some psychedelic space bubble pictures after you cover with saran wrap and let all the little condensation bubbles form.

I took this beet salad to Staci's "Super fun times trampoline jumping spaghetti feed hoo-rah". It was fun. The food was delicious and so was the company.

Start Eating Purple Salad

beets
purple cabbage, sliced thin
purple onions, sliced thin
cranberries
white balsamic vinegar
olive oil
honey
lemon juice
lemon zest
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
touch o cayenne

Trim beets but do not peel and put into salted boiling water until tender. Run under cold water and peel skins off. Dice into bite-size chunks. For the dressing: Mix together white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper and just a bit of cayenne. Mix with beets. Add cabbage, cranberries and red onions.

Mmmmm....Korean food, I'm missing you!

2009-08-15T13:01:00.004-05:00

I really miss those Korean picnics and the friendly strangers who always shared them with me while I was wandering around the country.

Pajeon (veggie-filled pancake). The kimchi one is best.

Some of the many, many sides served at Sanchon Vegetarian restaurant in Seoul.

Kimchi Jiggae (kimchi stew) with banchan (soft tofu with sauce to the left). This is my favorite Korean dish ever.

Bibimbap (rice with mixed vegetables, an egg and hot pepper sauce) and banchan (side dishes, served with every meal in Korea). And a Hite. Not that I miss Korean beer.

Bibimbap all mixed up.

Dokboki (chewy thick noodles served with a spicy sauce).

Mul nangmyeon (cold noodle soup) served with scissors.

Hoddeok (golden fried dough filled with brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts). I used to get these on the weekends in Insadong-- where all the best tea shops are in Seoul.

FiveTastes Salad Dressing

2009-08-12T15:18:00.001-05:00

olive oil
lemon zest
lemon juice
white balsamic vinegar
honey
cayenne
sea salt
ground white pepper

When I was living in South Korea I used to love to drink "Five Tastes Tea", which is what I named this salad dressing after. This dressing includes elements of sweet, salty, sour, spicy and bitter to create an explosion of flavor for your taste buds. Explosions of flavor=good. Mix all ingredients together and throw in some fresh chopped herbs if you have 'em. (I put in lemon balm and spearmint this time.) We had this dressing on a salad with cranberries, sliced red onion and blue cheese crumbles. It was one deee-licious salad. Photographs coming soon.

Pesto Pasta Deliciousness

2009-08-05T18:53:00.007-05:00

Oh, summer I love you. For so many reasons. One of them is pesto. We love pesto at our house. I'd bet we could eat it every day and not get tired of it a bit. On sandwiches, as a dip, mixed with veggies or on pasta, as we've been doing a lot lately. Vaughn has changed his favorite pasta from bowtie to radiatore since I made this Radiatore Pesto Broccoli dinner, below. It was sooo good. And easy. Here's how to make pesto:

Pesto

basil
olive oil
garlic
nutritional yeast
nuts (I've been using almonds lately, because that's what I've got. But pinenuts work well. Too bad they are so expensive.)
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
sundried tomatoes (optional)

Combine ingredients and blend. I also sauteed up some red onions with onion, garlic, olive oil and broccoli and tossed with pasta and a generous serving of pesto. Enjoy.

Blue Salad with Tangy Blueberry Dressing

2009-07-24T12:00:00.001-05:00

Blueberries, almonds, and red onion join forces to create this scrumptious salad. It's great as a meal or as a side salad to accompany a nice summer meal (we had it last night with pesto linguine). And the dressing is bursting with flavor: tangy, sweet, nutty and just a bit spicy. We've been having this salad with every meal lately at our household. It's that good.

Mmmmm....salad.

Tangy Blueberry Dressing

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup olive oil
1 lemon, zest & juice
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (depending on how spicy you like it)

pinch sea salt

2 tablespoons fresh herbs if available, chopped (I used spearmint & lemon balm)

Combine all ingredients (except blueberries and fresh herbs) in a jar or bowl and mix (or shake). Add blueberries and let them marinate in the dressing while you make the salad and/or the rest of your meal. Add chopped fresh herbs right before serving.

Blue Salad

8 cups mixed lettuce

1/4 cup blueberries

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

1/2 red onion, sliced

3 tablespoons sliced or crushed almonds

Wash, dry and cut lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Add remaining ingredients. Top with Tangy Blueberry Dressing. Enjoy.

Super Cookies by Donovan

2009-07-23T17:15:00.003-05:00

Super Cookies

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 banana
1/2- 3/4 cup honey

3 tablespoons molasses
1 cup quick oats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

handful of raisins (we used golden)

3 tablespoons ground flax seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup peanut butter

1 tablespoon baking powder

dash of nutmeg

for the glaze:

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons ground sunflower seeds

Donovan came over last night and we decided to try out an original, never-before-been-made, spontaneous cookie creation that Donovan dubbed "Super Cookies". The ingredients threw themselves together as we searched cupboards and shelves for the best, most super-est stuff to make our cookies with. Donovan really, really wanted to make "a glaze" for the cookies (completely his idea). He also wanted to use the mortar and pestle real bad. So he ended up grinding up sunflower seeds to use in the glaze.

Soften up the butter and mix with all other wet ingredients. Mix in dry ingredients and put cookie dough drops onto a greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees until cooked throughout, about 10 minutes. Drizzle glaze, let cool a few minutes and eat while watching monsters fight aliens.

The Perfect Breakfast

2009-07-14T20:29:00.004-05:00

Emily from Em's Good Eat Treat's picked me up last Saturday morning to go to the farmer's market and she brought me a jar of her Homemade Granola and Dried Fruit. Now I must make granola. Soon. It was sweet and little bit salty and fruity and absolutely delicious. Especially when I had it with soy milk and strawberries, blueberries and nectarines. Thank you Emily!

Sweet Swirly Coffee Morning

2009-07-13T16:56:00.002-05:00

And another Bagel Sandwich

2009-07-13T16:25:00.004-05:00

Bagel. Tomatoes. Cucumber. Onions. Cream Cheese. Hot yellow peppers. Red peppers. Fresh dill. Drizzle of olive oil. Sea salt. Fresh ground pepper. Lettuce.

This parmasan bagel above was made by Emily.

And this asiago bagel below was made by Baker Daddy.

They were both very, very good.

Orzo Pasta Salad, Honey Roasted Carrots & Garlic Roasted Kohlrabi

2009-07-07T15:56:00.010-05:00

I used to go to an Italian restaurant that served the most delicious pasta salad. And served with a good crusty Italian bread with olive oil for dipping and it's a perfect combination. It's been years since I've had it. This week I noticed that I had a box of orzo that had been sitting around for months and I finally decided it was time to use it. I didn't do bread with mine (yet) but I have made it twice already. Two different versions because of what I had to work with, but both good. I served with honey roasted carrots (above) and garlic roasted kohlrabi (below).

Aly's Orzo Pasta Salad

orzo

black olives

green olives

calamata olives

capers

sundried tomatoes, sliced

fresh diced tomatoes

pine nuts or sunflower seeds

baby portabello mushrooms (I probably won't usually add these, but they were good)

Havarti cheese, cubed (what I used the first time, second time without cheese)

lemon juice and zest (don't be shy here)

extra virgin olive oil

white balsamic vinegar (or regular)

spinach (or mesclun), chopped into bite sized pieces

fresh herbs (I used basil

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

fresh grated parmasan

garlic , minced

Boil (salted) water for orzo. In a bowl combine everything except parmasan. This could have far fewer ingredients and still be good. Only have black olives? No problem. Essential ingredients (for me) are: lemon juice, zest, olive oil, something tangy (olives, capers), spinach, tomatoes and a touch of balsamic vinegar(white or regular), sea salt, fresh ground pepper. And some type of nuts and sundried tomatoes make it pretty darn good. But you decide.

Anyways, back to the pasta. As it's cooking let the sundried tomatoes marinate in the dressing. You should be smelling the fresh scent of lemon zest and garlic about now. When the pasta is finished, drain and add to bowl of sauciness and serve.

Honey Roasted Carrots

carrots (whole or sliced or baby)

honey

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

olive oil

Put carrots in a baking dish with remaining ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees until soft. These were good!

Garlic Roasted Kohlrabi

kohlrabi, diced

garlic

olive oil

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

Toss together and put in the oven at 350 degrees until kohlrabi is cooked.

A few things I love about Thailand...

2009-07-05T18:46:00.014-05:00

Pad Thai with a lovely couchsurfer in Chiang Mai.

The temples. Trekking. Elephants. Beautiful views. Riding a scooter. Festivals. Hammocks. Beaches. Islands. Jungle. Used book stores (I try but I just can't stay away). The clear blue-green water. Diving. The Thai language. Bright stars in the night. The wonderful people I met there (did I already say that?). And of course, the food. The lovely carved carrots and beets and radishes. The street food. The fresh squeezed orange juice. The markets. The availability of vegetarian food. The interesting meat substitutes. The wonderful flavor combination of sweet and spicy. A Thai Zen meal when eating a dish so hot I am absolutely, positively incapable of thinking, my entire being is consumed by the spiciness and I melt into the oneness of it all. Now that's hot.

The markets. Everyday. Everywhere. Mangoes. Exotic fruits. And those little green skinned oranges. So sweet. So good. Especially when fresh squeezed.

Lounging around eating wonderful food and reading books in Aum Restaurant/used book store in Chiang Mai.

Red Curry. Fresh vegetables. I definitely miss Thai curries.

Fruit salad. A very SPICY fruit salad.

Guy's Breakfast. Mango, papaya, yogurt and bee pollen. This was the first meal at The Spa after a 7 day fast on Ko Samui. Wow, does food taste good after going without for so long.

Spring rolls, fried and served with a margarita on Ko Phi Phi.

Red curry with tofu, fresh fruit and a smoothie in Pai.

I really, really love the fresh fruit juices in Thailand. Not that you can't have fresh juice here but in Thailand, I can get it just about anywhere, fresh and made to order (and plus it doesn't cost $5). I think this was a carrot/orange/ginger. Heavenly.

So I think I'll start trying to re-create some more Thai dishes soon. It's about time I learned how to cook Pad Thai. And it's been awhile since I've made Thai curry. Coming soon.

Thailand, here's to you.

Bagel Sandwich of the day

2009-06-30T15:29:00.003-05:00

Bagel. Tomato. Lettuce. Jalepeno cream cheese. Garden herb cucumbers and onions in vinegar. Sunflower seeds. Balsamic vinegar. Olive oil. Sea salt. Fresh ground pepper. Mmmmm....

Losing Our Marbles

2009-06-23T10:41:00.005-05:00

Check out my other blog (done in collaboration with my boyfriend) at http://losingourmarbles.blogspot.com/. Vaughn has been making glass for the past ten years and is now making marbles and kaleidoscopes. He also has been making jewelry for the past 14 years. And he's teaching me how to do it all. These are all Vaughn's creations...

Kaleidoscope image of handmade marble

Flower implosion marble

I LOVE this one!

This is one of Vaughn's favorites

Geode Vortex marble

Handmade pendant and goldstone necklace

Garden Herb Cucumbers in Vinegar

2009-06-22T16:24:00.006-05:00

Garden Herb Cucumbers in Vinegar

cucumbers, sliced thin
onion, sliced
vinegar
water
dill
lemon balm
basil
spearmint
sea salt

Fill jar with all ingredients, using twice as much vinegar as water. Give it a shake and put it in the fridge to marinate. Yum, it's summer.

Garden Herb Potato Salad

2009-06-21T10:07:00.004-05:00

Garden Herb Potato Salad

potatoes, diced
garlic cloves
golden raisins
lemon juice and zest
dill
lemon balm
spearmint
olive oil
apple cider vinegar
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Dice potatoes. Mix with olive oil, garlic cloves (whole), salt and pepper and bake at 350 degrees until golden colored and cooked throughout. Chop up herbs and mix all remaining ingredients with potatoes. Serve warm or cold. I really liked this one (especially with the raisins) but I want to make it again a bit different next time. I want to add carrots and add more herbs. More of what I already put in and then some rosemary and basil maybe. And some cherry tomatoes in this salad would be good and add some color.

Black Bean & Rice Shitake Stuffed Peppers

2009-06-20T12:14:00.009-05:00

They were so good the first time I had to do it again. This time I went with yellow and orange and stuffed with rice and black beans and other good stuff. The first round of these I wrapped in foil and threw on the grill in the backyard with corn on the cob. The next day for lunch I put the leftovers in the oven. Both were delicious but nothing beats grillin' in the summer.

D thought it looked disgusting but when he tried it he said it tasted awesome...until he bit into a mushroom. Uh-oh. Sorry D, I didn't know of your fungal fears.

Black Bean & Rice Shitake Stuffed Peppers

peppers cut the long way and de-seeded, stem removed

cooked rice

black beans, canned

1 egg

onion, diced

shitake mushrooms (fresh, dried or canned)

shredded cheese

red pepper flakes

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

lime zest and juice

italian seasoning

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

fresh basil for garnish

Saute shitakes with olive oil. Put a few drops of olive oil and salt and pepper inside the pepper bowls. Mix remaining ingredients (excluding basil) and stuff peppers. If doing on the grill, wrap in foil and cook around 30-45 minutes. If using the oven, cook at 350 degrees until filling is hot throughout and the cheese is melted.

Bachelorette Stuffed Peppers & Something Blue Wedding Fruit Salad

2009-06-17T14:30:00.013-05:00

There has been a serious lack of posts due to a wonderful celebration in my parents backyard...my sister 's wedding on the 6th of June! Congratulations Emily and Juan! My parents have a great backyard and "the portal" into the woods was the perfect place for the ceremony. It's been awhile since my entire immediate family has been together so we had a great time getting into mischief together all over again.

my sister Emily, brother Zach & me. he's looking at her but he's listening to me. he he he.

I was the maid of honor Em's wedding so I figured I should throw a bachelorette party before the big day. Now the most important part of a bachelorette party (after the strippers and the booze, of course), is the food. And if it's for a party, bring on the cheese! And red peppers and artichoke hearts, mushrooms...you get the idea. All the good stuff. And remember, this is not a recipe. If you need a recipe, make up your own! I had never made this before, I literally found all the yummiest fillings at the grocery store and in my mom's pantry and fridge and mixed them in with some bread crumbs and an egg, stuffed and threw them into the oven. We had them with corn on the cob and baked sweet potatoes.

Aly's Bachelorette Red Stuffed Peppers

red peppers
diced onion
minced garlic
artichoke hearts
mushrooms
asparagus
egg
bread crumbs
shredded cheddar cheese
cream cheese
feta
red pepper flakes
italian seasoning
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
(and if I would have had sundried tomatoes, I would have added them)

Cut the red peppers in half, the long way, and take out the seeds to form two bowls for your stuffing. Dice up any vegetables you want to add. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. If it needs to stick together more, add another egg. If it's too wet, add more breadcrumbs. Put it in the oven at 350 degrees and bake until the top is golden. Serve with a knife. Finish before strippers arrive.

gooey, cheesy, peppery deliciousness

Emily and her bachelorette party dinner plate

Dad eating leftovers the next day for lunch with tortilla chips

Something Blue Wedding Fruit Salad

There was also fruit salad at the wedding. The ingredients should be quite apparent in the photos. I washed and chopped and photographed. And apparently also forgot to take out the core of the pineapple! Oops...it's one of those fruits I don't buy usually and have rarely cut. Now I know. But it looked really good. And it tasted damn fine too if don't mind an occasional tough bite of pineapple. But leave that out on yours.

Congrats Em and Juan!

Ginger Cayenne Panacea tea

2009-05-23T16:03:00.010-05:00

Not really a tea at all but a cure-all, tasty, rejuvenating hot drink. I always drink this when I'm sick and often when I'm not. The lemon and honey are good for a sore throat. And the ginger...I'll quote Andrew Weil:

"From ancient times, doctors in both China and India regarded ginger as a superior medicine, adding it to combination remedies for its tonifying and spiritually uplifting properties. The tonic effects of ginger on the digestive system are clear: it improves the digestion of proteins, is an effective treatment for nausea and motion sickness, strengthens the mucosal lining of the upper GI tract in a way that protects against the formation of ulcers, and has a wide range of actions against intestinal parasites...Additionaly, ginger tones the circulatory system and has anti-cancer effects, blocking the ability of some carcinogens to cause mutations in DNA."

I love ginger.

And then there's the cayenne. It's great for increasing circulation and can be used to treat digestion problems, heart disease, chronic pain, sore throat, headaches and toothaches.

To make Ginger Cayenne Panacea Tea: Add to hot water a chunk of grated ginger, fresh squeezed lemon juice, lemon slices, honey to taste and however big of a pinch of cayenne you like.

Sprouts and a Sprouty Bagel Sandwich with Jalapeno Cream Cheese

2009-05-22T14:42:00.010-05:00

So I've recently started sprouting and I'm now obsessed. This is my first try: a jar of sprouted organic French green lentils. They turned out crunchy and flavorful and are the perfect addition to so many meals.

Last Saturday I went to the farmers market and came home with homemade bagels from Baker Daddy. They are good. And Harold is awesome. Go visit him at the farmer's market if you live in Lawrence. You won't regret it. The everything bagel is my favorite so far but the sesame is not far behind. I also picked up some spinach from Natalya at Pinwheel Farm while I was at the farmers market. She always has great stuff. I now had everything I needed to make a sprouty bagel sandwich. This is not really a recipe. It's too easy to be a recipe and you don't really cook anything. But it is delicious, healthy and quick to make. I could eat them everyday for lunch. Vaughn and I used to get everything bagels with jalapeno cream cheese and sprouts from Einstein Brothers occasionally. Now, I'll just make them at home. Sorry Einstein Brothers, mine are better (and much cheaper!).

Sprouting

Sprouting is easy to do and very rewarding. Simply soak whatever you want to sprout (so far I've sprouted green lentils, garbanzo beans and mustard seeds) overnight. After the overnight soaking, rinse and drain. Continue to rinse and drain 2-3 times per day and your sprouts should be ready to eat within 2-3 days, depending on what you're sprouting. I've also discovered that you can sprout in hemp bags instead of glass jars. The bag has the advantage of better air circulation and easy rinsing and draining (just hang the bag over your sink). I'll be experimenting more as the days go by. Pondering making raw sprouted garbanzo bean hummus soon...I'll post more on that later.

For the jalapeno cream cheese: Add diced jalapenos (I also added a bit of habanero, we like it hot!), diced tomatoes, seasoning salt and a squeeze of lime to vegan cream cheese. Yum. Simple and delicious.

Spread jalapeno cream cheese on bagel and cover in veggies and sprouts. Spinach and tomato worked out well. Enjoy!

Sweet Coconut Rice with Mango

2009-05-21T10:14:00.003-05:00

This is a photograph I barely squeezed in before I devoured this sticky rice with mango in Thailand. Yum. Heavenly sweetness. I haven't been to Thailand since 2007 but if I manage to return you can bet one of the first things I'll do is rush out and find/lovingly attack a street vendor selling sticky rice with mango. It's that good.

So I was inspired by this lovely Thai dessert a few days ago when I created this...

I didn't look at a recipe for sticky rice (which I now want to try). It was very simple with few ingredients but turned out wonderful. Now if only we could grow mango trees in Kansas...

Sweet Coconut Rice with Mango

Rice
Raisins
Sliced Almonds (or cashews)
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Honey
Coconut milk
Shredded Coconut (for garnish)

Boil water. Add rice & raisins and almonds or any other dried fruits or nuts you want to add. I used golden raisins in this one. Adding the fruits and nuts to the boiling water makes everything soften up and melt in your mouth. I also added cinnamon and nutmeg at this stage so the house would fill with cinnamony-sweetness while the rice was cooking. Cook until rice is done. Add coconut milk. 1/2- 1 can, depending on how much rice you cooked. Add honey and sweeten to taste. Top with shredded coconut.

Bless this food

2009-05-20T08:39:00.004-05:00

This food is the gift of the whole universe,
Each morsel is a sacrifice of life,
May I be worthy to receive it.
May the energy in this food,
Give me the strength,
To transform my unwholesome qualities

into wholesome ones.

I am grateful for this food,

May I realize the Path of Awakening,

For the sake of all beings.

Namo Amida Buddha.